Network States

Before the conclave, Bocconi ran a “Network Conclave” sim.  
Graph theory only — no AI, no divine signals.

They surfaced Robert Prevost as a top node.  
Days later: Pope Leo XIV.

Eigenvector = status  
Betweenness = info flow  
Coalitions = emergent power

The Vatican didn’t run this.  
The network did.

Leadership emerges from structure, not hierarchy.  
Forget hierarchy. Observe the graph.

Link: https://www.unibocconi.it/en/news/network-conclave  
(now you see why @balajis.eth was right)

Author of The Network State.
Work with me: jobs.ns.com

Agreed on the importance of network based modeling. 

However, status was only 1 of 3 weightings they did, and he wasn’t in the other two, so we should be careful to read too much into the predictive power of these approaches vs looking at them as a descriptive exercise

“high status moderate” is probably a superior heuristic with the same outcome

Identity and math

Co-founder at @icebreaker

icbk.me/web3pm.fc

Totally fair. I see it less as predictive prophecy and more as a visible signal of where network gravity is pooling — especially when status aligns with the symbolic logic of the conclave.

Of course, the graph itself changes depending on which data you map and how you slice the structure.  
A bit like Chinese generals consulting the I Ching — not for prediction, but for reading the invisible field before acting.